Lennie Gallant

For more than four decades, Lennie Gallant has been telling stories through songs that blend folk, country, rock and the rich musical traditions of his native Prince Edward Island. A multi-award-winning singer-songwriter, he has released 16 albums, been inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and received the Order of Canada for his contribution to Canadian music and culture. His latest album, Shelter From the Storms, finds him reflecting on turbulent times while celebrating resilience, community and human connection. Now, after several years away, Gallant is returning to the UK for a short run of dates that includes WemsFest in Westbourne, St Nicholas Church in Baulking, The British Country Music Festival in Blackpool, Café #9 in Sheffield and The Cluny 2 in Newcastle. It is, he says, a new chapter – and one he hopes will lead to many more UK festivals, theatres and tours. For Gallant, the mission is simple: connect with British audiences.

You’ve achieved an extraordinary amount in Canada – awards, Hall of Fame recognition and the Order of Canada. Is there still a little part of you that thinks, “Blimey, how did all this happen?”
I really don’t spend much time thinking about the awards or honours I’ve received. But if I do take a moment, I sometimes wonder if maybe they made a mistake! Ha ha ha. I’m very fortunate to have someone like Patricia, who might give me a poke if I say something along those lines.

Canada clearly knows your name – but how much fun would it be to have the UK discover Lennie Gallant all over again?
I’ve done a few shows in the UK in the past and enjoyed them immensely. I’d like to spend a lot more time over there, so it would be very cool to have more people respond to my music.

You’ve conquered stages across Canada and beyond. What would “making it” in the UK actually look like for you?
I think it would be awesome if I could make the UK part of my regular touring schedule. A few times I’ve brought my band over and I loved it immensely, so it would be great if we could spend more time there with tours that were really well put together.

I’m not terribly well known there at the moment, so I’m hoping that will change somewhat. I really hope to play more festivals and theatres in the future. Hopefully this little jaunt will help make that happen.

If you could introduce yourself to a British audience with just one song, which one would you choose – and why?

Oh, that is a really tough question, and one I would probably give you a different answer to on any day of the week. One song… I don’t know. Today I’ll choose Pieces of You, perhaps from my Live Acoustic at the Carleton album.

You’ve already got the Canadian Folk Music Awards and ECMA recognition on the mantelpiece. What would you most like to add to the story in the UK?
I’m not really looking for any awards in the UK. I just hope that my music connects with people over there and that I get to present it to them a lot more in the future.

Do you think Canadian and British audiences listen to folk music differently, or are people everywhere ultimately looking for the same thing – a great story and a great song?
The few times I’ve played in the UK in the past, the response was terrific, and we were kind of surprised at how many albums people picked up at the shows.

I find UK audiences listen intently and really responded well in the past to what we had to offer. I really hope they enjoy the new songs that we’re going to bring over.

Your music has already travelled 248 times around Earth aboard the International Space Station. Is the next mission to get Lennie Gallant properly orbiting the UK?
That is the mission, Scotty!!!

Britain has a pretty impressive history of embracing singer-songwriters from across the Atlantic. What do you think you could bring to the UK folk scene that might surprise people?
Hmmmm… well, while some of my songs probably do have a little bit of a Canadian outlook, I like to think that the majority of them come from a more universal perspective.

It might also surprise people that we have recorded some original albums entirely in French. Obviously, we’re going to be performing in English in the UK, but every now and then we may drop a French song in there just for the hell of it!

If a British promoter called tomorrow and said, “We want to bring Lennie Gallant to the UK,” what would be your dream venue to see on that itinerary?
The Royal Albert!! Ha ha ha.

You’ve shared stages with some enormous names and built a devoted following in Canada. Is there an artist on the British scene you’d particularly love to share a stage with?
Well, I have shared stages with quite a few artists from the UK in the past, though mostly while they were touring on my continent. And there are so many that I admire, it’s hard to choose.

I am a fan of Damien Rice and his work, so maybe I’ll put him down. I think he’s quite brilliant.

Do you feel that Shelter From the Storms could speak particularly strongly to British audiences at the moment?
Well, I certainly hope so. And I do believe the themes on this album are pretty universal. There’s even a story or two here that are actually set in Europe, so I do believe they will connect.

After 16 albums, an appearance in space and an induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, is expanding your audience in the UK an exciting new chapter – or does it feel like unfinished business?
It has been a number of years since I’ve played in the UK, so it does kind of feel like a bit of a new chapter.

I do hope my work resonates with the folks we get to play for, and then I get to spend a lot more time over there. It’s something Patricia and I have talked about often, so now, let’s see how it goes!

We are really, really looking forward to this trip and hopefully many more in the future.

If we have this conversation again in a few years and you’ve become a familiar face on the UK folk circuit, what would you hope you could tell me had happened?
That I played the Royal Albert! Ha ha ha. And a bunch of festivals.

Tour Dates:
Sept 3: Wemsfest, Westbourne
Sept 4: St Nicholas Church, Oxfordshire
Sept 5: British Country Music Festival, Blackpool
Sept 6: Cafe #9, Sheffield
Sept 7: The Cluny 2, Newcastle Upon Tyne